DESCRIPTION: (Principal Investigator's) The study of novel electrical and optical sensors for the enantioselective recognition of chiral organic compounds and drug molecules has been proposed. These sensors are constructed by using optically active binaphthyl-based main chain chiral conjugated materials. Different molecular receptors such as crown ethers, polyammonium macrocycles and diboronic acid functions will be incorporated into the chiral conjugated polymers. These materials will be used to analyze molecules such as chiral amines, amino acids, chiral phosphates, chiral carboxylates, chiral alcohols and sugars. Due to the chirality of these novel conjugated polymers, they will be able to differentiate the enantiomers of the substrates. The synthesis and study of binaphthyl-based chiral conjugated dendrimers is also proposed. In addition to the research on the polymers with stable main chain chiral configuration, we also propose to prepare an achiral cross-conjugated polymer that can exhibit main chain chirality in the presence of chiral guests. This induced main chain chirality will be used to discriminate the enantiomers of chiral molecules. Through the study of these conjugated chiral host polymers, it is expected to develop a class of highly sensitive and enantioselective sensors with rapid responses. The interaction of these sensors with substrates will be investigated by analyzing their UV-vis absorptions, fluorescences, phosphorescences, CD effects and electrochemistry. This study will lead to fundamentally new sciences and important practical applications.